March sunshine helps snow buried towns

MONSON, Mass. (WWLP) - With less than 2 weeks to spring, the snow from Thursday’s storm is hardly the sight to expect.

Snow banks have stacked up and the rooftops are covered with snow in Monson where they got about 18 inches of snow Thursday and Friday.

Wayne Lemire of Palmer told 22News, "Jeez I tell ya it's beautiful though, I've got two and a half acres up where I live and we just sat out on the back porch and listened to the snow from the trees just drop."

Monson and other towns in eastern Hampden County had the highest totals out of a storm that brought even more snow to areas further east.

"Ever since I moved here about twelve years ago we seem to get more snow than everybody else," Heidi Manning of Monson told 22News.

Unlike a storm in the middle of winter, this storm came just before a mild and sunny weekend which certainly helped cleanup and allowed the melting to begin.

Clean up crews were out taking care of sidewalks and the main roads.

The suns angle in the sky is higher, providing more direct sunlight.

That, combined with longer days and mild temperatures this weekend will bring significant melting all over snow covered areas.

Donna Sloozak of Monson explained to 22News, "Yes it's not so bad now, now that the sun's out it's warmed up a little bit so now we can take it a little bit more. Turned out to be 21 inches at our house, so it's a lot more than we had expected for March."

Back in the lower Pioneer Valley, Chicopee only picked up 2 inches of winter white and with mild weather lasting into the upcoming work week, there won't be much snow left by St. Patrick's Day!